One Year Anniversary this week!

Tomorrow Poets United will celebrate its first official anniversary. Our very first 3 posts were posted this day last year and to be honest they have long since been overwritten or deleted. I don’t find that a negative though. I feel it’s more a testament to the growth and progression of this community. I initially started Poets United to be nothing more than a simple blogroll and as we can all see, we have gone well beyond that concept. We have moved from a simple listing page to an entire community that is 250 plus strong and constantly growing.

Poets United has become a wonderful community for poets and writers. Over time we have grown so much that no one person is responsible for this amazing collection of poets. Our members can be found in every corner of the world and are always willing to step forward and help in whatever way they can. For that we are so very grateful.

We have had a few failed concepts: a Forum Page, Poet Trading Cards and Small Group Particpation just to name a few but we have also had many successful and thriving activities: The Poetry Pantry, The Life of A Poet Interview Series and our very own Poetry Anthology are just a few of the many positives we have experienced and are still experiencing. We have many more that are not listed here but we all participate in them in one way or another. Poets United has become more than just an online community. I’d like to think we are poetic family.

This week last year we posted our first ever Poem of the Week "Untitled" by Alexis Hallum

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This poem can be found at:

    "Finding Prose in the Laundry and Poetry in the Dishwasher"                         

(Untitled)

Emotion
fizzles lightly in the belly

then

tickling the diaphragm

building up it grows

Heavier and harder

moving towards the neck,

taking over the back of the throat

pushing the tears out of eyes:

angry and dark

Salt water dripping past tonsils,

sobs spring forth from the chords

first silent then uncontrollable

All she wanted was a glass of milk.


                           Alexis, Monday, February 15, 2010

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We also posted our very first Blog of the Week:  Out of My Ocean by Susannah Bec

Out of my Ocean - "Out of my Ocean" is a poetry blog written by Susannah Bec. Her poems are refreshing while avoiding the cliché. She has a knack for taking everyday life and displaying it from a different angle. If you do not have the time to float through her blog then at least take a moment to read “A Container for the Flow”. This poem by Susannah has to be one of my personal favorites. It makes me reflect on my own need for writing as a release. Her writing is vivid and creates wonderful visuals for her readers.  Susannah's blog is well done, easy to navigate and just like her writing a pleasant escape from the every day grind that is life. Please take a few momemts to visit her blog most folks will really enjoy reading her work.

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If you pull back the curtains and peer behind the scenes of Poets United you will see I am no longer the only one pulling strings. As we have grown so have the responsibilities. We currently have roughly 10 people helping to ensure Poets United doesn’t lose its edge. Should you get the chance please visit our Staff/Contributors Page so you can see all the folks who could use a pat on the back or two.

Ultimately Poets United is your community and we are just lucky to play a part in it. This is a place to meet and make friends. It is a place to lean on when times are rough, a place to share smiles, tears, aliens, fantasies and everything else in between. Your creative talents and imagination are what fuels this wonderful corner of the blogosphere. Do not stop putting pen to paper. Thank you for shaping this community. We look forward to another great year here at Poets United so keep writing, keep reading and keep sharing.

Thank you for the chance to be a part such a great community!!

Robert Lloyd

In the comments section below share your thoughts about Poets United?  What is your favorite apsect and or activity at Poets United?  What do you expect from us in our second year?  Are there areas we can improve on? Please feel free to share anything youd like as this is your community!